Chapter 3
Elaine knew that her background check would come back clean.
She’d never even had a ticket in her life, much less anything else that might ding her.
So she didn’t have any problem signing a one-year lease with the realtor on a two-bedroom place that even had a washer and dryer set up.
Not that she could afford herself a set, but someday she might.
All she had in the way of furniture was an air mattress and a laundry basket for her clothing.
So long as she was set with those, the rest could come later, she told herself.
She had fifty-two dollars left to her name until she got paid.
That was after she’d gotten a full tank of gas to drive back and forth to school.
Even if something happened and she didn’t get the job, she did notice that the pizza place was hiring, and she could do that for a while.
She just needed her checks to come in from the army so she could afford groceries, too.
Making the call again, she was surprised when someone knocked on her car door and found that it was a woman whom she didn’t know.
Asking her to wait a moment, she finished up her confusing call and finally hung up.
They were still looking for the reason that she hadn’t been paid, but they had the checks now.
Telling them that she needed them only had her more frustrated.
They needed to find out the reason for the mess-up, and that was why they were holding off on sending them out.
Getting out of her car, she smiled at the woman. She didn’t know her, but figured that she just wanted her to move her car or something. Not that she was parked illegally or anything, but some people were like that. She asked her what she could do for her.
“My name is Shipley. Well, it’s really Candace Shipley, but I go by my last name.” She’d heard the name before but didn’t know the person or even if this was her. “I think we might well have worked together out of the country.”
“On the front line.” She nodded and grinned. “I never actually worked with you, but I’ve heard of you. It’s a small world. How did you know where to find me? It’s not like I’ve advertised that I have an address yet.”
“My brother-in-law did a background check on you, and it hit the Washington office where I was stationed from. I do a little work for them now and again, but nothing like going to the front line to operate. How’s it going?
I couldn’t help but overhear that you were having trouble getting your last checks.
The same thing happened to me.” She said that it’s been four months now, and she still hasn’t gotten her checks.
“They’re giving you the run around, I’m betting too. ”
“That’s right. And I could really use the money.” She wondered why she was able to talk to her about this and realized that she’d somehow gotten her to the little Dari Twist that was across the street, where she’d been parked. “I’ve eaten already, but you go ahead.”
“You’ve not eaten, and it’s my treat.” She felt a little of her temper get the better of her, so she let out long breaths until she had some control over it.
“Feel better? I’m going to get some information from you, and we’ll see about making a couple of calls to get your checks to you today.
I have just enough pull to get it done.”
“If you can do that, I’ll look over the fact that you bullied me into coming here.
” The menu was sort of sparse, but she was able to get a hamburger with some fries.
Shipley got the same, but instead of a bottle of water, she got herself a milkshake.
They finished it off while talking about her leaving the service.
“I’ve been out for four months, and I was able to get that last check before leaving, then nothing.
They said it was a computer glitch, but I don’t know.
It’s taking forever. Now they tell me that they’ve got my checks, but can’t send them out until they figure out what has happened.
Like I said, I could really use the money. ”
“No kidding. Let me make a call.” While she was on her cell phone, she looked around the little area.
There were a lot of teenagers hanging around the place, and she wondered if this was the spot to be in the summer months.
Then she realized that they were selling ice cream at a discount and figured that was why they were here.
She didn’t listen in on the call that Shipley was making, even though it was about her, but did keep an ear on it so that when she finished talking, she could get the information that hopefully she could use.
“Do you have an address?” She rattled off the new one that she’d gotten just this morning.
“I’ve also got a post office box, but they said they’d not mail them to that.
” She nodded and continued with her call.
Elaine decided that since this was on her way home, she might make use of their lunch menu in the summer months to save on cooking.
She hated to cook more than she hated being without money.
When Shipley got off the phone, she was grinning. “You got them mailed to me.”
“Yes, you’ll get them in the morning. I made a call to the vice president.
He’s married to one of the other women’s sister.
They’ve been married about a month now, and it’s wonderful having that contact.
” She said that was impressive. “It is, isn’t it?
I’m so glad that I could help you. My husband’s name is Dusty Erickson. ”
“Now that’s a name I’ve heard a great deal about since being here.
They’re the ones that caught the teachers padding their want list when they asked for things to get them through the end of the year, right?
” She said that was right and was happy to be related to them.
“They must have a great deal of pull when it comes to the schools around here. That’s all the people around here can talk about is the great Erickson brothers and their wives. ”
“They’re a good bunch of men. They’ve lived here for the last twelve or thirteen years now and have done wonders for not just the school but the town as well.
It’s been great living in this little town, too.
I hope you like it.” She said that she was sure that she would now that she had her money and a job.
“I heard that you’re teaching one of the classes at the school.
Congratulations on that. We’ve needed new teachers for over a month now, and I’m glad to know that you’re one of them. ”
“I’d been in the service since I got out of college.
I taught for a while, but then realized that I couldn’t make the kind of money that I would if I continued my education in the service.
So I enlisted and got an education that was good, and learned a few things while I was in there.
I’m just hoping that they don’t find anything in my background check that keeps me from working.
” She said that she had it on good authority that she’d passed.
“Good to know. I just signed a one-year lease with an apartment, and even with my money coming to me, I might have a hard time making my rent each month.”
“You’ll be fine. I know it.” As they finished their meals, they talked about the little town.
She told her how she’d spent the night at an officer’s home last night, and she knew who it had been.
“The Markuses have been around for a long time. They’re allowing Telly to work out his retirement even though he’s having trouble with his nerves.
He’s the calmest man I’ve ever met, until something goes wrong, then he’s really bad.
He gets the shakes and stammers, too. But he’s calm most of the time. ”
They talked about the other teachers who weren’t coming back. Only four so far, but she had a feeling that they weren’t going to show up on Monday morning at all and quit without notice. She could see a bunch of people doing that too. Just to make the school short-staffed.
“They didn’t take too kindly to being laid off without pay.
It was only for a month, but that could have been the difference between them having money for a mortgage payment or not.
But they’re the ones that had done it, so they have no one to blame but themselves.
” Elaine agreed with her and said that she could never do that.
“I didn’t think you would. I actually didn’t think that a couple of the teachers would, but peer pressure can be a lot even when you’re an adult. ”
By the time the sun was going down and the weather was getting colder, they parted ways.
But not before a dinner invitation was given to her by Shipley.
She said that she usually got together with her sisters-in-laws once a week and thought that she could use a couple of friends since she was new to the area.
She didn’t know how much she’d have in common with the Erickson women, but she thought that she could use a couple of friends.
So she agreed to have dinner with them on Thursday night.
On her way to her car, she noticed that the kids had all gone and the place was closing up. She’d heard that they would be closing for the winter months on Friday and was going to miss just being able to get a lunch or two there.
Driving home, she got to her place in less time than she remembered it took.
Getting out of her car, she tried to judge the distance between her place and the school and realized that she could just walk to school when the weather permitted.
She loved that idea and was going to do it when she started.
There was no point in taking her car there if walking was just as easy.